Hitchhiker spends the night with Gisborne Police - but not how she planned

12/01/2018

Police car.
Photo credit: Getty

A female hitch hiker spent an unplanned night in a New Zealand police cell - but she wasn't in trouble for catching a lift.

The Eastern District Police shared the woman's tale on their Facebook page, explaining that she was trying to get to Napier, but hitched a ride to Gisborne by mistake.

"At some point in the journey, the hitch hiker told the driver that she actually wanted to go to Napier, not Gisborne," the Facebook post said.

"It's thought she may have been standing on the wrong side of the road when hitching, but we are not sure. So the driver thoughtfully dropped her at the Gisborne Police station to see if we could help her out."

Police were ready to shout the woman a meal and a bus ticket so she could be on her way, before discovering she was actually wanted by law.

A quick check of her details in the system found she was wanted for burglary and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle.

"So she got her bed for the night, albeit not as salubrious as she probably was expecting," the post said.